Wrench.



F. H. KANNING.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. a1, 191s.

1,071,556, Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l4 P. H. KANNING.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED 1,111.31, 1913.

1,071,556. Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

2 ISHEETS-SHEET 2.

af ,gef

FREDRICK H. KANNING, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led January 31, 1913.

Patented Aug. 26,1913.

Serial No. 745,478.

To all wiz-0m t may concern:

Beit known that I, FREDRICK I-I. KAN- NING, a citizen of the United States, residing at East St. Louis, Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in W'renches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to wrenches and more particularly to wrenches of the wellknown Stillson type which comprises a stationary jaw and a movable jaw. A great deal of difficulty has been experienced with the pipe wrenches in general use today on account of their failure to readily disengage from a pipe or the like when it is desired. Upon rotating the wrench in one direction about the pipe the jaws bite into or grip said pipe but upon rotating the wrench in the opposite direction the jaws will not readily disengage from the pipe but will often bind so that it requires great.

strength or the aid of a hammer or similar tool to release the same.

One object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty, and to this end I have designed a wrench of the character described that is particularly adapted for use as a pipe wrench and that is so constructed that it will rmly grip the pipe when rotated in one direction but will be readily released therefrom when rotated in the opposite direction.

Another disadvantage of the pipe wrenches now in general use is their inability to work properly if the sides of t-he jaws are close to fittings or other objects when in service. To overcome this objectionable feature I make that portion of the wrench that will come into contact with adjacent objects while in service, of a greater width than the pipe-engaging jaws so that they are left free to performtheir proper functions without any side friction.

Another object is to provide a wrench of the character described that is provided with means of novel construction for varying the distance between the jaws.

A still further object is to provide a wrench of the character described that-is composed of a few simple parts that may be manufactured at a low cost and easily assembled.

Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevational view-of a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the wrench in a different position; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. -5 is a front elevational view; Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views illustrating slightly modified forms of the releasing jaw; Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of a different form of wrench embodying my invention; Fig. 9

is a vertical sectional view thereof; Fig. 10v

is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 8; Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional View` taken on the line 1'1-11 vof Fig. 8; and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the nut that is used for controlling the adjustable Y j aw.

Inu the drawings, A designates the handle or bodyv portion ofthe wrench that is provided with anV enlarged portion o-r jaw 1, and a bearing member 2 is pivotally connected, as by the rivet 3, to said portion A adjacent the jaw 1, and said member embraces and supports a nut B into which is threaded the shank 4 of the usual adjustable jaw C. The nut B is provided at its upper end with a retaining ange 5 and at its lower end with an enlarged knurled or corrugated finger portion 6 by means of which the nut B may be easily rotated so as to move thehead 7 ofthe jaw C toward or away from the jaw 1 on thebody portion. In order to reduce the .cost of manufacture I prefer to form the nut B in two sections Y; and Z9', thus eliminating the necessity of lathe work in the manufacture of this part of the wrench. The section normally bears against the under side of an extension 1a on the jaw 1, andV the section is provided -with one or more projections 8 that fit in correspondingly-shaped recesses 9 in the section Z). The sections Y) and are each provided adjacent their meeting edges with alining internal threads 10 that coperate with threads 11 on the shank 4 of the jaw C. The pivoted bearing member 2 retains the nut B in operative position and also permits the jaw Cito swing-slightly against the tension of a spring 12 when in service in a manner similar to the wellknown Stillson type of wrench.V

The bearing member 2 is preferably composed of two similar members 13 secured together by means of rivets 14 or other suitable fastening devices, but it is to be understood that the member 2 could be made in one piece if desired.

Means is provided for quickly disengagin g the wrench from the pipe being operated on when desired, and in the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings this means comprises a yielding pipe-engaging member D that is slidably mounted in the jaw 1. The pipe-engaging surface of the member D is provided with a series of serrations or teeth 15 that bite into the pipe when in service, and said member is provided on its under side with a reduced portion 16 that tits in a correspondinglyshaped guideway or pocket 17 formed in the jaw 1. A pin 18 arranged in said jaw cooperates with a slot 19 formed in the reduced portion 16 of the member D so as to limity the outward movement of said member, and an extension 20 on the member D prevents same from kicking up or leaving the guideway 17 when in service. A flat leaf spring 21 secured to the handle A bears against the outer edge of the member D so as to normally keep same in a retracted position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

When the wrench is in service, as shown in F ig. 1, and is moved in the direction of the arrow as, the teeth 15 on t-he member D and the teeth of the head 7 of the jaw C will bite into the pipe e, the member D, as shown, abutting against a shoulder 22 formed in the jaw 1. When it is desired to disengage the wrench from contact with the pipe the wrench is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow y in Fig. 2, the member D remaining stationary until the head 7 on the jaw C, which, by reason of the pivotal bearing 2, has assumed a position at a slight angie to the jaw 1, has moved about the pipe e far enough to cause the distance between the jaws at the point of contact to be increased sutticiently to allow of the ready removal of the wrench.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have illustrated a wrench provided with pipe engaging members D1 and D2, respectively, of slightly different cross sectional shape than the member D previously described. I prefer to form the member D and the head 7 of the jaw C of slightly less width than the jaw portion 1 in which the member D is mounted, see Fig. 5, so that a clearance is formed between the sides of said jaws and any object against which the wrench may bear while in service.

In Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive, I have illustrated my improved form of adjusting nut embodied in a monkey-wrench, A designating the handle. C the adjustable jaw, and 2EL the bearing for the nut B that cooperates with the jaw C, said bearing 2a being rigidly secured to the handle A by means of a plurality of rivets 23, or other suitable fastening devices. Instead of the yielding member 15 heretofore described I prefer to use a removable smooth faced hardened wear-plate 24 that is fitted into the handle A, and to prevent breakage of the jaw C I provide the handle portion A/ with a rearward extension 25 that bears against said shank at the point at which it is subjected to the greatest strain while in service, said extension 25 being preferably provided with a hammer head 26.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a wrench, a body portion, an adjustable jaw provided with a threaded shank, a nut coperating with said shank, said nut comprising two interlocking threaded sections, each of said sections having a flange on thev outer end thereof, and a bearing for said nut pivo'tally connected to said body portion and surrounding said nut between the anges thereof so as to hold said nut in operative position.

2. In a' wrench, a body portion, an adjustable jaw provided with a threaded shank, a nut coperating with said shank, said nut being composed of two sections, one of said sections being provided with recesses and the other of said sect-ions being provided with coperating projections that prevent relative rotary movement of said sections, and a bearing for said nut connected to said body portion.

3. In a wrench, an adjustable jaw pro-- vided with a threaded shank, and a nut cooperating with said shank, said nut comprising two sections, each of which is provided with an internal screw-thread adjacent its inner end that coperates with said shank and a cylindrical bore adjacent its outer end.

4c. In a wrench, an adjustable jaw, and a coperating nut comprising a plurality of interlocking sections and said nut having an internal thread for a portion of its length intermediate the ends thereof and an enlarged bore extending from each end of said thread to the end of the nut.

5. In a wrench, a body portion, an adjustable jaw provided with a threaded shank, a nut that cooperates with said shank, said nut comprising a pair of sections, one of said sections being provided with a plurality of notches in the vinner end thereof and the other of said sections being provided with a plurality of projections that coperat-e with said notches and a bearing member that supports said nut and is pivot-ally connected to said body portion.

G. In a wrench, a body portion, an adjustable jaw provided with a threaded shank, a. nut that cooperates with said shank, said nut comprising a pair of similar cylindrical sections that are adapted to abut end to end to form the complete nut, one of said secllt tions being provided on its abutting end In testimony whereof I hereunto afix my with a plurality of projections that copersignature in the presence of two witnesses, ate with a plurality of notches formed in the this twenty eighth day of January, 1913.

abutting end of the other of said sections, FREDRIGK H. KANNING. and internal screw-threads formed in each Vitnesses:

of said sections adjacent the abutting ends WELLS L. CHURCH,

thereof. GEORGE BAKEWELL,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

